SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 Volume 52 | Issue 1 Educating Safely Information, research, and resources to assist educators and local education associations 5 President’s Corner | 12–13 Virtual Learning | 14–15 Candidate Recommendations Coverage you can depend on for the ones you love. As an eligible NEA member,* you’ve got the protection Visit neamb.com/protect of NEA Complimentary Life Insurance, issued by The to learn about all the Prudential Insurance Company of America — but solutions available you should name a beneficiary to make sure your loved to help meet your ones are covered. Go to neamb.com/free-tote and insurance needs. register your beneficiary to get this FREE tote. Or call 1-855-NEA-LIFE (632-5433) and mention offer code: TOTE BAG FREE * Visit us online or call for eligibility requirements. NEA Members Insurance Trust is a registered trademark of the NEA Members Insurance Trust. NEA Complimentary Life Insurance is issued by The Prudential Insurance Company of America, Newark, NJ. 0302614-00002-00 DT460920 Coverage you can SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 depend on Inside this Issue Volume 52 | Issue 1 4 President’s Corner President for the ones Loren Paul 5 Online Learning Opportunities Vice President you love. Stephanie Hageman 6 A Word from Our NEA Director NEA Director Dana Livermont 7 SDEA/NEA Opportunities Interim Executive Director Fran Linn 8–9 Professional Development Communications Director 10 2020–21 State Leadership Team Sandra Waltman Communications Specialist 11 SDEA Resources for Educators Rebecca Feller 12–13 Virtual Learning Address 14–15 South Dakota Candidate Recommendations Education Association 411 East Capitol Avenue 16 Coronavirus Relief Fund Pierre, SD 57501 17 SDEA Members in Action! 18 CARES Act Leave Provisions 19 Educator Mental Health 20–21 SDEA/NEA Educational As an eligible NEA member,* you’ve got the protection Visit neamb.com/protect Innovation Grant The Educators’ Advocate of NEA Complimentary Life Insurance, issued by The to learn about all the (ISSN 0013-2047) is published five times annually by SDEA/ Prudential Insurance Company of America — but 22–23 Top 10 Reasons to Belong solutions available NEA, 411 East Capitol Avenue, you should name a beneficiary to make sure your loved to help meet your 23 SDEA-Retired Pierre, SD. Periodicals ones are covered. Go to neamb.com/free-tote and insurance needs. postage paid at Pierre, SD. register your beneficiary to get this FREE tote. Or call Postmaster: 1-855-NEA-LIFE (632-5433) and mention offer code: Vision Mission Send address to TOTE BAG FREE We envision valued South Dakota Education The Educators’ Advocate, education professionals Association ensures the 411 East Capitol Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501. providing quality collective voice for South Official publication of the public education for all Dakota public education South Dakota Education students. professionals. Association/NEA. * Visit us online or call for eligibility requirements. NEA Members Insurance Trust is a registered trademark of the NEA Members Insurance Trust. NEA Complimentary Life Insurance is issued by The Prudential Insurance Company of America, Newark, NJ. 0302614-00002-00 DT460920 SDEA.org | 3 New School Year. New Roles. New Challenges. The start of the 2020–2021 school year is and staff safe. So, what do we do? like no other. For me, the new year brings I have always believed that in order to a new role as your SDEA President. My make it through this pandemic we must do new title comes with a lot of responsibility, this together. Now more than ever, SDEA which I take very seriously. SDEA members is committed to supporting our members. entrusted me to be the steward of the South We continue to develop tools, such as the Dakota Education Association (SDEA) and to Guide to Educating Safely, to help educators, represent educators across the state. I am students and their families navigate these eager to be your voice, and I know that if we uncertain times. SDEA continues to push work together, we can bring positive change for additional funding to make sure you to our public schools, but I need your help. have what you need to do your job safely. As your new president, I know I have a lot We continue to remind everyone, including to learn. Just because I was elected to this state leaders, school board members, position, doesn’t mean that I have all the administrators and parents, that they MUST answers. I believe the best leaders do less put the necessary measures in place to keep talking and a lot more listening. I want to students and teachers safe. hear it all—the good and the bad. I need I am so honored to represent the most to know what is working, and I need to committed educators in the country. You know what is NOT working. What can truly inspire me. Being an educator was we, collectively as an Association, do to never an easy job but educating during a help you do your job better? Maybe you pandemic makes South Dakota’s educators just need an ear or maybe you need more miracle workers. On behalf of the students support and resources to help you be a of South Dakota, thank you for continuing better educator in these unprecedented to be there for them. I look forward to the times. year to come and I look forward to hearing This brings me to the start of the 2020–2021 from you. school year in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. As schools opened in August and early September, educators did their best to prepare for what was to come. However, it Loren Paul didn’t take long for concerns and confusion SDEA President to arise. Educators are being designated as essential workers, cases are spiking, and 800-529-0090 schools lack the resources to keep students 605-224-9263, ext 116 [email protected] 4 | SDEA Educators’ Advocate New Educator & Member Benefits Online Sessions The South Dakota Education Association (SDEA) has partnered with the Nebraska State Education Association (NSEA) to offer members a number of online sessions. NSEA and SDEA know the learning never stops, and that now, more than ever, educators will need to be as proficient at distance learning as they are in the traditional classroom. To address this need, the following webinars and professional development opportunities are available: Member Benefits Webinars/Topics Do more and save more with your NEA Member Benefits! Attend a webinar for an overview of the benefits available to you. These online sessions are applicable to members and officers of local associations with topics such as bargaining, politics, member benefits, student loan forgiveness, advocacy and membership. New Educator Sessions New Educator Online Learning Opportunities — a series of professional learning webinars to support the success of new educators in the classroom, instructional growth and retention in the profession. ONLINE SESSIONS SDEA.org | 5 A Word from Our NEA Director Dana Livermont Dana is a certified school counselor and K-12 specialist with the SD Statewide Family Engagement Center who serves as your representative on the NEA Board of Directors. She is passionate about organizing around issues and equity for students in South Dakota. Twitter @theDanamyte As I begin my term as your representative schools having had different experiences on the NEA Board of Directors, I am with COVID-19, and that is okay. What unites humbled and honored to be able to serve all of us is our deep commitment to our in this position. Since I began my career students and our communities and a desire in education over 10 years ago, I have for a safe and healthy school year. witnessed the spirit and dedication of South Dakota educators, who work tirelessly I want to share with you that like SDEA, to provide a top-notch education to our NEA is creating and compiling valuable children and young adults—often without resources to support educators in the pay and praise that is so deserved. this journey to return to learning. I encourage all of you to check out https:// With the unexpected challenges of teaching educatingthroughcrisis.org/ which has through a pandemic, my admiration of loads of resources and articles relating to school staff across South Dakota has only digital supports, wellness, and your rights intensified. I see custodians planning to during the pandemic. create sanitary learning environments and clerical staff figuring out how to add temperature checker and symptom manager to the list of daily duties. I see the school counselors and social workers striving to foster safe and resilient spaces to support the mental health of students and staff as they return to school in crisis. I see classroom teachers and university instructors working throughout the summer While visiting that page, please take a look to transform classrooms, to prepare for at the “Take Action” page. Regardless of the possibility of in-person and distance your political affiliation, educators must be learning, and to learn everything they vigilant in demanding the resources and can about this virus in order to make safe supports necessary to keep South Dakota decisions for our students. youth safe while learning. On this page, you can contact Senators Thune and Rounds, Throughout this pandemic, I have often post the image above on your social media, seen the quote, “We are in the same storm, and more. If we, the educators, are not but we are not all in the same boat.” I see going to fight for what our students deserve, this in our educators. We are returning to who will? 6 | SDEA Educators’ Advocate SDEA/NEA OPPORTUNITIES GRANT, SCHOLARSHIPS, CAREER SDEA/NEA SDEA/NEA’s ESP Award SDEA/NEA’s ESP of the Year Award recognizes the contributions of ESP Education Support Professionals (ESPs) in their schools, communities, and OF THE YEAR their profession.